Roland Thornqvist was hired as the head coach of the Cardinals' men's tennis program in August 2025. Thornqvist, a four-time national championship coach and longtime leader at the University of Florida, brings decades of experience and a reputation for developing championship-caliber teams while prioritizing academic and personal growth.
Thornqvist compiled an extraordinary coaching record during his 23-year tenure at Florida, where he guided the women's program to four NCAA Championships (2003, 2011, 2012, 2017) and produced dozens of All-Americans and Academic All-SEC honorees. Prior to Florida, he served as head coach at Kansas and North Carolina, achieving national recognition at both institutions. Thornqvist owns a remarkable 582-157 head coaching record in 28 years, including a 507-107 mark at Florida.
In 20+ years with Thornqvist on the sidelines, some of Florida’s more significant highlights include four NCAA Team Championships (2003, 2011, 2012, & 2017), as well as 11 SEC regular-season titles (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 & 2016) and 10 SEC Tournament crowns (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2016).
Individually, Thornqvist has been honored as the ITA National Coach of the Year (2011), the ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year (2010 & 2012) and the SEC Coach of the Year (2004, 2006, 2010, 2013 & 2016).
The team and individual accomplishments under Thornqvist’s guidance grew with every season. He led Florida to 11 NCAA Final Four appearances, with four culminating in titles and two as national runner-up (2002 & 2010). In the classroom, 19 of his Gator squads earned ITA All-Academic Team honors by compiling a minimum cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale).
Thornqvist joined the Florida program with a five-year record of 75-50 after coaching at the University of North Carolina for the past three seasons (42-30) and at Kansas from 1997-98 (33-20). Each team advanced to the NCAA Championships under Thornqvist, with the 1998 Kansas team advancing to the Round of 16. In his premiere season at UNC in 1999, he led the Tar Heels to the NCAA Second Round in their first-ever NCAA appearance.
Thornqvist returned to his alma mater in June of 1998 to take a North Carolina team that posted a 1998 record of 5-17 to a record of 16-9 and its first-ever NCAA berth in 1999. The Tar Heels also recorded their first NCAA Tournament victory in 1999, taking a 5-4 win over Washington in the opening round. His Tar Heel teams also advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2000 and 2001, reaching the second round again in 2001. The UNC team finished the 2001 season ranked No. 17 in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll - the highest final position in the history of the Tar Heel program.
In his first head coaching assignment at Kansas, Thornqvist led the Jayhawks to a second-place finish in the 1997 Big 12 Conference standings and a No. 1 regional ranking. The 1998 Jayhawk squad compiled a 18-6 record, won the NCAA Central Regional Championship at Brigham Young University and advanced to the NCAA round of 16 before losing to Georgia.
Prior to his tenure at KU, Thornqvist spent 1994-96 as the assistant men’s tennis coach at UNC. Thornqvist also played professional tennis for one year after completing his collegiate eligibility, attaining a world ranking of No. 290 in singles.
Thornqvist established himself as one of the top players in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference during his collegiate career. He was a three-time first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, the 1993 ACC Player of the Year, a 1992 and 1993 first-team All-American and a 1992 and 1993 NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist in singles. In 1992, he led the Tar Heels to the ACC Championship and to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels also made the NCAA Tournament during his senior season, advancing to the round of 16. Thornqvist won the 1993 Rolex National Indoor Singles Championship as a senior. In both 1992 and 1993, he won the ITA’s Rafael Osuna National Sportsmanship Award. He is the only college player in history to win that award twice. Thornqvist was the No. 4-ranked collegiate singles player in the country his senior year.
A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Thornqvist received his bachelor’s degree in economics from UNC in 1996. He played for the Tar Heels from 1990-93, transferring from Elon College, where he played one year and won the NAIA singles and doubles championships as a freshman in 1990. He also led Elon to the NAIA team championship that year.
Thornqvist is married to Nan Thornqvist and they are the parents of Maclaine, who was born in November 1999, and Whitney, who was born in January 2001.
